Apostle was later exiled for preaching the Gospel there, as he himself mentions in the Apocalypse. He wrote his book while in exile:
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:9).
Because John was told: “What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea” (Rev 1:11) and “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand” (Rev 22:10), he obeyed the command immediately.
This is what the Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea tells us about the time of the writing of the Apocalypse and the life of the apostle:
“[The Roman emperor] Domitian was a brutal enemy of many: a great number of prominent and noble people in Rome were executed by him without trial; thousands of famous and innocent men and women were exiled, their property was plundered. Towards the end of [his rule], he proved himself to be Nero’s true successor in hatred and enmity towards God. He was the second one to start persecuting us, although his father, Vespasian, did not plan anything of the sort.
It was told at that time that the apostle and evangelist John, who was still alive, was convicted to be exiled to the island of Patmos for his testimony of the Word of God. Irenaeus mentions the number of the name of the Antichrist from the so-called Apocalypse of John. In the 5th book “Against Heresies”, he says with regard to John: “If the name of the Antichrist was to be revealed at this time, it would be revealed unto the one who was a witness of God’s mysteries. The revelation was given to him quite recently, almost in our century, before the end of the Domitian’s reign” [compare Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, 5,30].
At the time described, our faith shone in the world so brightly that even the writers, so totally unfamiliar with our teachings, did not delay to tell about this persecution and the martyrs. They accurately noted the time: in the fifteenth year of Domitian Flavius, Domitilla, the niece of Flavius Clement, one of the Roman consuls in those days, was sentenced along with many others to be exiled to the island of Pontia for confessing Christ” (Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, 3,17—18).
It follows that John’s Apocalypse was written on Patmos about the year 96 from New Era (96 NE).
Let’s hear Eusebius further:
“When the fifteen years of Domitian’s reign were over, Nerva came to power; historians of that period write that, by the order of the Roman senate, the honors granted to Domitian were revoked, and those unfairly deported were returned home. It was around that time, according to the testimony of our ancient writers, that John the Apostle left the island of his exile and settled in Ephesus. After Nerva’s reign, which lasted for a little over a year, Trajan came to power.
[…] At that time the Apostle and Evangelist John, the one whom Jesus loved, was still in Asia. Upon his return from the island of the exile, after the death of Domitian, he was actively involved in taking care of the local churches. That he was still alive at that time is sufficiently confirmed by the two faithful witnesses, the paragons of true orthodoxy in the Church: Irineus and Clement of Alexandria. The former writes literally the following in his second book “Against Heresies”: “All the elders in the Province of Asia who communicated with John, the disciple of the Lord, testify that he spoke of this; he was with them until the time of Trajan” [compare Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, 2,22].
In his third book, he writes: “And the Church, founded by Paul in Ephesus – where John lived until the time of Trajan, – is the true witness of this testimony of the apostles” [compare Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, 3,3].
Clement, who also mentions this period, included the following story in his essay entitled “Who is the rich man that can be saved?” It is a highly instructive tale for all who like to listen to wholesome admonitions. So, take it and read it:
“Listen to this true story, not a fable, about John the Apostle. We committed it to memory just as it was passed down to us. Upon his return from Patmos to Ephesus, after the death of the tyrant, he was invited to visit the nearby regions to appoint bishops, plant churches, or sometimes introduce this or that person into the clergy, as led by the Spirit. When he came to a nearby city (some even mention its name), he helped the brothers to establish peace among themselves, and, noticing a young man, handsome and fervent in spirit, he asked the local bishop, whom he had appointed: “I fully entrust him to your care before the witness of the Church and Lord Jesus”. The bishop took the boy under his wing and promised to do as he was asked. John repeated his charge again and asked him to swear an oath one more time. Then John departed for Ephesus, and the bishop, taking the young man into his home, provided him with the proper support, care and protection, and, finally, got him baptized. After that he lessened his care and withdrew some of his protection, believing God’s seal of approval to be the best protection. The young man was prematurely allowed too much freedom and, to his own demise, got hooked up with some of his peers – the notorious lazybones, dabbling in sin. At first, they were taking him from one feast to another, but one night, they took him on a raid, and then, finally, decided that he was ready for more serious crimes. A gifted man, he was gradually getting used to this new lifestyle, and, like a stubborn horse, he took the bit between his teeth, left the straight path and rushed headlong to his own ruin. Abandoning all hope of being saved by God, he, finally, began to plot many crimes: if you are to perish anyway, why not suffer along with others by committing something worth remembering. Gathering a gang of robbers from among his comrades, he became their leader – a rapist, a killer and a villain more vicious than others. In the meantime, John was invited there again on some errand. Having done everything he came for, he said, “Now, bishop, please give account for the pledge that I and Jesus Christ laid on you, to which the church you oversee is a witness”. At first, the bishop was frightened, thinking that he must have been falsely accused of stealing money, which he had not taken. He could not just agree to something that didn’t happen, but neither could he distrust John. “I demand the soul of the young man and your brother”, he said. Upon hearing this, the bishop groaned inwardly and said, “He died”. “In what manner and what was his death?” “He died for God – as an arch villain and, what is more, a thief. Instead of being in the Church, he is now on the mountain with an army of robbers”. The apostle tore his clothes and, moaning loudly, showered his head with many blows, “What a guardian did I leave for my brother! Give me a horse and someone to lead the way”. And he hopped on the horse right on the spot and was off in no time. When he came to that place, he was seized by the robbers’ picket but didn’t run away or plead for mercy. He just cried, “This is why I came! Take me to your leader!” The leader picked up his weapon as he was expecting the visitor, but, having recognized John, turned and ran away in shame. John, forgetting his old age, started chasing him around crying at the top of his voice, “Son, why are you running away from your father, I am unarmed and old? Take pity on me! Don’t be afraid, there’s still hope. I will answer for you to Jesus Christ, and will, if necessary, give up my life for you, just like our Lord gave up his life for us. I will give up my soul for you. Stop running and trust me; I have been sent by Jesus Christ”. The thief lingered as he was listening to him, at first downcast, but then, throwing down his weapon, he embraced the old man in bitter tears, and his penitence became his best protection against evil. His tears became his second baptism. All this time, however, he was hiding his right arm. The apostle swore an oath that he had been forgiven by the Savior; he knelt and pleaded with him, kissing his right arm as if cleansed by the repentance. And in this way, he restored him to the Church. He
